Whatever possessed a rich, well-to-do man like Zacchaeus to climb a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus? Today’s sermon, based on the Bible story found in Luke 19:1-10, spins a tale of the way it might have been.

Come with me as we travel to the backside of the Roman Empire, into the sweltering, fly-infested land of Palestine. We continue our track across difficult terrain until we reach the fragrant field city of Jericho. Here is the home of the despised man, Zacchaeus, a tax collector.

Today we will join Zacchaeus on a tax–collecting trip. Our goal will be to answer this question: What was it that made Zacchaeus throw embarrassment, shame, and ridicule all to the wind, to do something as uncharacteristic as climbing up a tree and crawling right out onto the limb -- for all to see?